Pay Yourself for Good Habits

I found a way to make my New Year's resolution pay off in cold hard cash! A motivational presentation I was listening to suggested giving yourself a dollar or 5 dollars every time you do something to maintain a good habit. I love this because one habit I want to change is buying junk food out of vending machines, which is hard in a work/office environment. Every time I resist temptation to buy something out of the vending maching I will take the money I would have spent on junk food into a jar/container. If I do this regularly throughout the year I will have over $200.00 saved by the end of the year to spend on something fun and fashionable! Knowing that giving up a small "treat" now for a big treat later on is very motivating. Just as important, it's doable, since I am not giving up all sweets or doing an extreme starvation diet.

To make your good habits pay off just think of a bad habit that is costing you money and think of how you can reward yourself for changing that habit. Recognize good behavior that you approve of by rewarding yourself with something that you want and will appreciate. For example, instead of buying so called "bargains" such as poor quality disposable fashions skip the cheap thrill of getting a "deal" now so you can save your money for better quality items later.

This approach can also be used to reduce your monthly bills. Adopt energy saving habits that also save you money. Compare your bill after adopting some enery saving habits, (using power strips, unplugging electronic devices when not in use etc.) to same month a year ago put the savings into a special bank account, or into a jar/container. After a year of saving energy and cash, treat yourself to something fun for the home.  To learn the secrets of saving money and shopping smart all year pick up a copy of  The Cheap Diva's Guide to Frugal and Fabulous Living: How to Shop Smart, Look Your Best, Decorate with Style, and Have Fun for Less Money!  You can buy Kindle version for only $2.99 and start living like a cheap diva today!